- Words Liam Cattermole
Relentless Freeform Forum mentor AntsLive chats about his creative hustle, why alternative movements are thriving and more.
AntsLive is a man of many talents; it only takes a brief indulgence in his revered music videos to understand that. From galloping through the Dolomites on horseback to flying an aeroplane across Europe and Salsa dancing with the air hostesses, he isn’t one to shy away from a challenge. Equally daring and disruptive, the north Londoner’s music takes on a similar approach. Through a series of mixtapes and sporadically released singles, he’s injecting some absurdity into the UK rap game, proving a dexterous lyricist with his slapstick witticisms and cartoonish punchlines.
Having actively released singles since 2020, AntsLive’s career might be in its infancy, but his rapid rise makes him the perfect candidate to mentor on Relentless’ Freeform Forum initiative, which he’s working on as we speak. Empowering next-gen creatives, one lucky mentee will be given £10,000 to help actualise their vision with help from footwork revivalist Sherelle, Burna Boy’s fave director Troy Roscoe, visual creative Ayshe Zaifoglu and, of course, Ants.
“I never had guidance myself in this industry, so as soon as the opportunity came up, I wanted to make sure that I could help people not make the same mistakes I did. There’s a lot of them.” Yesterday, the 24-year-old was shooting a music video in Morocco and tomorrow, he’ll be jetting off to play at Sunny Hill Festival in Kosovo, Albania. On the outside, AntsLive’s operation looks well-oiled but he’s keen to emphasise that even the smoothest running machines have gone through a process of trial and error.
As he continues to break boundaries and trailblaze for those to come next, we chat to AntsLive about staying consistent, remaining inspired and the creative network around him.
Tell me a bit about what drew you to working with Relentless and their Freeform Forum?
I never really saw myself as a mentor or a role model, so it was very humbling to be approached by Relentless for something like this. I never had guidance myself in this industry, so as soon as the opportunity came up, I wanted to make sure that I could help people not make the same mistakes I did. There’s a lot of them! It’s a blessing to be in a position where I can offer people advice. Big up Relentless every time!
What’s the number one mistake you’ve made that you don’t want others to?
The best thing that you can do is stay consistent and the worst thing you can do is drop off the map. It’s easier said than done because great ideas take time, and from the outside looking in, you have to make the operation look like a well-oiled machine, when sometimes the machine feels like it’s breaking down!
What is Freeform Forum about? What can creatives, specifically musicians, gain from it?
It’s an opportunity to be surrounded by like-minded creatives and hustlers and people who are striving to better themselves. There are some amazing people involved who I look up to separately as well, so big up everything they’re doing! Ultimately, it’s an opportunity to build your platform and get yourself heard. Great ideas take time, and they cost money but Relentless is providing both of these things.
Do you remember when you knew you wanted to be an artist? Were there any moments that defined your creative upbringing?
I was lucky because I realised I wanted to be an artist at an amazing time, which was the Soundcloud era, when people were just flinging tunes online. Nowadays, with all the social media demands, it might not feel so easy but really and truly, it’s the same thing. You can press upload and be a rapper.
The Freeform Forum is part of Relentless’ greater mission to champion subcultural scenes. As a key member of the UK’s burgeoning alt-rap movement, why do you think the scene is managing to resonate with so many people?
It’s easier to be yourself. Not everyone is a superstar, you can just be you and people will take that in. It might be difficult to be an artist with the various pressures, but now more than any time you can be yourself, which is why the alt movements are thriving.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue a creative career?
Just go! Don’t think too much, you’ll get a headache. Things will make sense in the end.
You’ve said that the Freeform Forum is for people who want to rip up the rule book and create something unique and different. How do you make sure that you’re personally breaking boundaries with the music that you make?
I can’t make music for you, and you can’t make music for me! As long as I’m staying true to my story, it’s going to break boundaries because no one’s done it before. No one can make my story for me and vice versa. That’s why I want to encourage people to find out how they want to present themselves and if they stay true to that, they’ll break boundaries.
How do you constantly make sure that not only your music but the creative behind you is constantly evolving?
You’ve got to stay inspired! I’ll be looking online and whenever I feel like there’s someone who can bring something to the table, I’m never too big to reach out. I try and make sure that I stay on the ground as much as possible.
What’s some of the best advice you’ve been given as an emerging creative in the music space?
No one knows when you miss. What I mean by that is, nowadays, we think that likes, views and comments validate us and what we’re doing as creatives, and you can get in your head about it when the numbers aren’t adding up. It doesn’t mean that what you did wasn’t good, it just means that nobody saw it; they’re two different things. You can’t control how many people are viewing the product, but what you can control is how good the product is. Nobody sees when you miss but everybody sees when you hit, and one day you will hit. Big up my boy Parky, he told me that.
Who or what are some of the biggest creative inspirations or influences for you?
A lot of my friends. Not just musicians: designers, directors, brand owners and I’ve met a lot of them on this journey. I have a great creative network around me; they know who they are. They continue to inspire me.
What’s next for AntsLive?
We’re just getting started as far as I’m concerned. It’s going to be a busy summer; I just dropped a project, but I have an exciting rollout coming with some collaborations that I feel people will enjoy. I’ve got some more videos, I’ve got merch coming out and I’m touring later this year. The feet are on the gas right now, so stay locked in!